The Woman in Black Review

Rated PG-13 (Thematic Material and Violence/Disturbing Images)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes

Cast-

Daniel Radcliffe-Arthur Kipps

Ciarán Hinds-Sam Daily

Janet McTeer-Elizabeth Daily

Roger Allam-Mr. Bentley

Liz White-The Woman in Black

Sophie Stuckey-Stella Kipps

Misha Handley-Joseph Kipps

Jessica Raine-Joseph’s Nanny

Directed by James Watkins

Looks like we're not in Hogwarts anymore...

The “Harry Potter” films have earned a gargantuan $7.7 billion at the worldwide box office (more than we normal folk will ever make in a lifetime so keep dreaming) but now that it’s all over, what’s next for the three stars who has spent the last ten years bringing our favorite fantasy characters to life? Rupert Grint has a number of projects lined up but for now he’s content with being the proud owner of an ice cream truck while Emma Watson is currently studying abroad at Oxford University before returning to Brown for her final year. She is set to appear in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” this year, based upon the 1999 novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky. Mr. Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, is already a Broadway star with Equus and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying but his first film role after “Harry Potter” is “The Woman in Black,” based upon Susan Hill’s 1983 novel of the same name. Hill’s novel was previously adapted into a stage play by Stephen Mallatratt in 1987 (which continues to run to this day) and a television film in 1989. “The Woman in Black” is an old-fashioned ghost story that Hollywood rarely makes anymore and while the film may not do anything wholly original, it manages to provide a spooky enough atmosphere thanks to its impeccable production design. 

Taking place during the early 1900’s in London and the surrounding countryside, young solicitor Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) prepares to set out for the small town of Crythin Gifford to settle the large estate of the recently deceased Alice Drablow, who lived in Eel Marsh House in northeastern England. Kipps has a four-year-old son named Joseph (Misha Handley) but his wife Stella (Sophie Stuckey) passed away during childbirth. During the train ride to Crythin Gifford, Kipps meets a wealthy landowner named Sam Daily (Ciarán Hinds), who easily deduces that he was sent from London to sell Eel Marsh House. As it is raining heavily, Sam offers to drive Kipps to the local village inn and invites him to his home for dinner with his wife Elizabeth (Janet McTeer) the next evening. Kipps is greeted with a chilly reception by the innkeeper, who reveals that all the rooms have been booked and that he should go back where he came from. The innkeeper’s wife convinces her husband to let Kipps stay for one night up in the attic. The townspeople regard Kipps with cold suspicion but he dutifully sets out in the morning to Eel Marsh House to begin his paperwork. However, he is interrupted by strange noises coming from the upstairs bedroom and goes to investigate. Kipps finds only a crow’s nest but when he looks out the window, he sees a veiled woman dressed in black standing alone in the garden. A series of terrifying events begin to occur but despite the objections of the townspeople, Kipps sets out to learn the truth about the mysterious woman in black. 

Although the presence of Daniel Radcliffe makes marketing “The Woman in Black” easier toward general audiences, the plot is rather thin as much of the film is simply a series of extended scare sequences. Contrasting with Hollywood’s more flashy efforts, director James Watkins opts for a traditional approach by utilizing light and shadow in order to maximize the suspense and frightening atmosphere. This is highly effective thanks to Tim Maurice-Jones’ immaculate production design. Eel Marsh House is as much a character as Arthur Kipps with its candle-lit decaying walls and dark corners that suggest something is watching us. Even the most mundane items such as a porcelain doll or a windup toy seem terrifying and add to the creepy ambiance of every scene thanks to Watkins’ creative camera angles and lighting. However, the film relies on jump scares a little too much and is at its most spooky when it builds up toward it while you squirm in your seat waiting for it to be over. The eponymous ‘woman’ herself is also smartly utilized sparingly but her presence is felt in every scene even if only glimpses are afforded to her. Despite the flimsy story from Jane Goldman, the writing is generally solid and the characters are given enough depth to allow you to care about them. The ending is also not as dark as I had expected and is oddly bittersweet for a horror film. “The Woman in Black” may eschew originality for tried-and-true ghost story tropes but what it does, it does very well. 

While the film relies more on its atmosphere and set design, the cast give solid performances. In his first role after Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe remains mournful and stoic but he reacts convincingly to all the supernatural occurrences that happen around him. However, the character of Arthur Kipps was written as older and some of the scenes with his son feel awkward considering that Radcliffe is no older than me. The ever reliable Ciarán Hinds is also on-hand as a father dealing with the loss of his son but for much of its ninety-five minute running time, its Radcliffe’s show with Hinds relegated to sidekick. 

“The Woman in Black” was released on February 3, 2012 to mildly positive reviews with 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it ‘traditional to a fault, [the film] foregoes gore for chills—although it may not provide enough of them for viewers attuned to more modern, high-stakes horror.’ The production budget was a low $17 million and it has already grossed an impressive $46 million domestic thanks to Radcliffe’s casting. While I did jump out of my seat a few times, I wouldn’t call the film particularly scary but I observed two young women sitting next to me constantly covering their eyes every time Marco Beltrami’s gothic and ominous score plays and Radcliffe starts to slowly creep around the house. Those weaned on blood and gore will find “The Woman in Black” boring but for people who can appreciate an old-fashioned ghost story, there’s much to like in James Watkins’ adaptation even if originality is nowhere to be found.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

“I will never forgive...I will never forgive...”

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Chronicle Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Action and Violence, Thematic Material, some Language, Sexual Content and Teen Drinking)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 24 Minutes

Cast-

Dane DeHaan-Andrew Detmer

Alex Russell-Matt Garetty

Michael B. Jordan-Steve Montgomery

Ashley Hinshaw  -Casey Letter

Michael Kelly-Richard Detmer

Bo Petersen-Karen Detmer

Anna Wood-Monica

Directed by Josh Trank

With great power...

Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben famously said that with great power comes great responsibility but would Peter be the same man he is today if he grew up in an abusive environment? Despite the risk of oversaturation, superhero films continue to be popular among audiences even if the quality can sometimes be hit-or-miss, ranging from excellent (“The Dark Knight”) to outright awful (“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”). Similarly, found-footage films have resurged since the release of 2009’s “Paranormal Activity” as they represent both a potentially bankable and low risk investment for Hollywood studios. The first week of 2012 saw the release of “The Devil Inside” which earned an incredible $34 million during opening weekend against a paltry $1 million production budget despite being universally reviled by both critics and audiences alike. Found-footage films have remained in the realm of horror for the most part but first-time director Josh Trank merges it with the superhero genre in “Chronicle.” I have to admit that my initial impressions from the previews were negative as it appeared to be just another in a long line of forgettable found-footage films looking to make a quick buck but I checked it out at the insistence of a good friend of mine. The found-footage approach proves to be a hindrance at times and the CG effects are uneven but “Chronicle” remains a damn good film that boasts some solid acting from its three leads and an engaging script that effectively blends classic superhero origin tropes with elements of a coming-of-age drama. 

Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) is a high school student living in Seattle who one day decides to start documenting his life on video camera. His abusive father Richard (Michael Kelly) is a former firefighter who was injured on the job but now spends his days collecting the insurance and getting drunk while his wife Karen (Bo Petersen) slowly succumbs to cancer. Friendless and often the target of bullies, Andrew spends his days alone but his cousin Matt Garetty (Alex Russell) invites him to a party held at an abandoned barn in an attempt to make him more sociable. This fails as Andrew ends up angering one of the partygoers with his filming and he leaves dejected. Popular student and school presidential candidate Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan) approaches Andrew and tells him that Matt has found something in the woods and wants it to be filmed on camera. The two meet up with Matt at a clearing and find him standing by a peculiar hole cut into the earth. They listen to the sounds emanating from the hole, prompting Matt and Steve to impulsively leap in to discover its origin. Andrew hesitantly follows them and the three come upon a strange crystalline structure. The camera’s feed begins to distort and suddenly cuts to black when the crystal begins to glow an eerie red. After recovering from their encounter in the cave weeks later, the three find themselves endowed with telekinetic abilities and excitedly test them on each other. Exerting their powers causes nosebleeds but Matt theorizes that they will get stronger with use over time. They initially use their powers for harmless pranks but when Andrew inadvertently puts someone’s life in danger, Matt chastises him and decides that they must restrict the use of their abilities in public and around other people. Although happy that he has now found a place where he belongs, Andrew’s demeanor soon begins to change as his anger at all those who have hurt him reaches the breaking point. 

With its first-person perspective and unique take on the classic origin story, “Chronicle” explores the psychological consequences that results when one suddenly finds himself wielding the powers of a god and proves John Dalberg-Acton’s famous remark that ‘power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ One of the things that the film excels at is the interplay among the three main characters with Trank and writer Max Landis building up a sort of journey that they go through while their friendship strengthens thanks to their shared abilities. The focus however is always on Andrew as it initially depicts him as a meek loner who eventually transforms into a vengeful Magneto-like being that sets out to destroy a world that has wronged him. While the idea is certainly a familiar one to avid comic book readers, this ‘birth of a villain’ if you will is grounded in teenage melodrama that is often found in more traditional dramatic fare. There are also welcome nods to a number of comic book origin stories such as Spider-Man. At one point a brooding Andrew sees a spider crawling on the floor of his room and kills it by tearing apart its limbs with his mind. In fact Landis seems to have taken inspiration from Peter Parker but instead of a loving Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Andrew has an abusive father who takes out his frustrations on his son and a mother on her deathbed. Despite what he becomes at the end, he remains a tragic and even sympathetic character, which is quite a feat to accomplish given the film’s economical running time. 

Quite a few laughs can also be had in the first hour as the three friends gleefully pull pranks such as moving someone’s parked car to another location or trying to pull gum out of people’s mouths, with hilarious results. The use of found-footage may be a gimmick but it works right up until the final twenty or so minutes as Trank tries hard to work around its limitations. This approach offers a certain raw intimacy to the proceedings and having Andrew levitate the camera rather than holding it ends up being quite ingenious. However, the final battle is shown through the use of cell phone and security footage, which is edited in such a way that it almost ruins the immersion factor but by that time we are already invested in what is happening so it’s not a total deal-breaker. Landis’ script also falters when it shoehorns in a romance that goes nowhere between Matt and an online blogger named Casey (Ashley Hinshaw). The CG effects can also come off as amateurish such as during the levitation scenes where its painfully obvious that wirework was used but the climax is epic enough to make up for it thanks to its “Superman II”-like scope. Ultimately, these are minor issues and “Chronicle” succeeds because it keeps us emotionally invested in the characters and tells a familiar story in a way that is both fresh and exciting. 

The cast is comprised of mostly unknowns whose work has mainly been limited to television but it allows them to easily melt into their respective roles. Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan all give excellent performances and the natural camaraderie they share helps keep the film grounded in the real world. However it is DeHaan who shines as he slowly turns Andrew from victim to destructive sociopath. There are some truly disturbing scenes where he expresses his contempt on-camera towards people he deems weak and justifies his actions by coldly remarking that ‘you do not feel guilty when you squash a fly.’ The only actor that you may recognize is Michael Kelly, who has held a number of supporting roles spanning both films and television over the years. 

“Chronicle” was released on February 3, 2012 and received largely positive reviews with a surprisingly impressive 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed the film for its ‘smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from its young, talented cast.’ Shot on a production budget of $12 million, it has already turned a sizable profit with a worldwide box office gross of $81 million so far. While the film leaves the door open for a sequel, I hope that Trank leaves it as is since some things are just better left up to the imagination. “Chronicle” certainly took me by surprise with its strong characterization and script, proving once again that a director does not require massive budgets or excessive CG to create a great film so long as he or she has an original idea and the ambition/drive to see it through. Trank is currently a frontrunner for the “Fantastic Four” reboot and while giving such a huge project to a new director isn’t exactly wise, he has already proven himself capable of handling such a task. This is the kind of new talent that Hollywood should foster.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

“You do not feel guilty when you squash a fly...and I think that means something. I just think that really means something.”

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Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 3D Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action and Violence, Some Disturbing Images, and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes

Cast-

Nicolas Cage-Johnny Blaze\Ghost Rider

Idris Elba-Moreau

Violante Placido-Nadya

Johnny Whitworth-Ray Carrigan\Blackout

Ciarán Hinds-Mr. Roarke\The Devil

Fergus Riordan-Danny

Christopher Lambert-Methodius

Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor

If only the rest of the film was as awesome as this shot...

*Sigh*…Nicholas Cage, what happened to you? Let me remind you that Cage won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Actor back in 1995 for “Leaving Las Vegas,” where he portrayed a failed Hollywood screenwriter who drank himself to death. He would receive praise again for his off-kilter performance as Charlie and Donald Kaufman in 2002’s “Adaptation” but since then, Cage has become something of a laughing stock as he’s forced to accept every film offered to him in order to drag himself out of the financial hole he created. The last film he starred in that received positive reviews was 2010’s gleefully violent “Kick-Ass” but his recent body of work has been embarrassingly bad. Last year’s critically-reviled “Trespass” directed by Joel Schumacher (who ruined the “Batman” franchise back in 1997) was pulled from theaters in less than two weeks and released on DVD/Blu-Ray after eighteen days. Cage hasn’t quite reached direct-to-video levels yet but he is coming dangerously close. A self-professed comic book fan, Cage has longed for his own superhero film franchise and he got his wish in 2007 with Mark Steven Johnson’s “Ghost Rider.” Unfortunately, it received negative reviews from both critics and fans alike but managed to become a mild box office success with $229 million worldwide. Sony/Columbia Pictures quickly announced a sequel and five years later, we have “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” which astonishingly manages to make the first film look like a cinematic masterpiece by comparison thanks to its nonsensical story, atrocious dialogue, haphazard camerawork and bargain-basement special effects. This film is nothing but a trashy snooze-fest that will leave you angry with a throbbing headache. 

Picking up eight years after the events of the first film, former motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage) is in self-imposed exile in a remote part of Eastern Europe as he continues to struggle with the curse of the Ghost Rider. A hard-drinking monk named Moreau (Idris Elba) finds him and asks for his help in locating a boy named Danny (Fergus Riordan), who is being hunted by a band of gun-toting mercenaries led by Ray Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth). If Blaze succeeds, Moreau will help lift his curse and give him back his soul. Convinced by the prospect of having a second chance at a normal life, Blaze unleashes the Ghost Rider and manages to track down the boy but the situation becomes complicated when he learns that Danny is to be the new vessel for Mr. Roarke aka the Devil himself (Ciarán Hinds). To stop the Devil from fully regaining his powers, Blaze teams up with Moreau and Danny’s mother Nadya (Violante Placido) but hot on their trail is Carrigan, who has been transformed into the demonic Blackout. 

Hollywood tends to release numerous sequels to films that earn even a modicum of profit but I doubt anyone was clamoring for a follow-up to “Ghost Rider,” widely considered to be one of the worst comic book films ever made. I admit that it is still miles better than Schumacher’s horrid travesty “Batman & Robin,” which is already high praise indeed. Mark Steven Johnson steps aside to serve as executive producer and replacing him are Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who have carved out a niche specializing in violently over-the-top action films such as “Crank” and “Gamer” where they disregard everything that makes up a good film such as story and character development in favor of satisfying their inner-thirteen-year-old. “Spirit of Vengeance” is no different but the violence has been toned down in order to receive a PG-13 rating. For a film that was marketed as having non-stop action, there’s surprisingly very little with the ‘story’ solely used to inflate the already-short ninety-five minute running time. Nothing generates much interest as the script from Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman, and David S. Goyer (who also co-wrote “The Dark Knight” with Christopher Nolan) is a straight rip-off from James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” The rushed pacing makes it clear that the film was made solely for Sony/Columbia Pictures to keep the rights to the character when it would’ve been wiser to let them revert back to Marvel. Honestly, I was bored by what was happening on-screen because nothing is taken seriously and you simply do not care about anyone. Even the exposition is conveyed in lazily-animated sequences. 

One of the problems that plagued the first film was the yawn-inducing action but here, it’s liable to give you a pounding headache as the camera erratically shakes around in extremely odd angles and close-ups to the point where you cannot even tell what the heck is going on. Neveldine and Taylor’s interpretation of Ghost Rider as an unstoppable primal force of nature is one of the few bright spots and the CG work to bring him to life is impressive but everything else is just bargain-basement quality with cheap-looking sets that appear to have been hastily assembled with Styrofoam. “Spirit of Vengeance” is another one of those films that was post-converted into 3D and while it does not suffer from the same issues that plagued other post-converted films, the effect adds nothing except a $5 surcharge. There’s no sense of depth at all and the confusing action scenes only add to the disorienting experience. 

Like the story, the acting is god-awful with Nicholas Cage in full-on psycho mode. I admire the fact that he throws himself into the role with such wild abandon but it’s all wrong. Johnny Blaze is supposed to be tormented by his struggle to contain the Ghost Rider but he comes off as a wide-eyed schizophrenic. Idris Elba sports a ridiculous French accent while Violante Placido really tries to give her character some measure of depth but it’s all for naught given that she’s intended to be nothing more than eye-candy. The worst offense is Johnny Whitworth as Ray Carrigan/Blackout with his annoying ‘dirt-bag’ shtick that quickly wears thin. For those of you who don’t know, Blackout is a villain of Ghost Rider who debuted in Ghost Rider #2 in 1990 but his powers are poorly realized as every time he comes into contact with someone, he transports them to this void-like dimension, which I assume was done to save money. Ciarán Hinds is the only cast member to come out relatively unscathed and actually makes for an effective Satan. 

“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” was released on February 17, 2012 to highly negative reviews with an unsurprisingly low 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics wrote off the film ‘as plain trash’ with its ‘weak script, uneven CG work, and a Nicholas Cage performance so predictably loony it’s no longer amusing.’ While it was initially expected to win the President’s Day weekend, this is no longer the case as clichéd romantic drama “The Vow” looks to be holding on to first place. “Spirit of Vengeance” is looking to finish the four-day weekend in fourth place with approximately $24 million, a far cry from its predecessor. It will likely recoup its $57 million production budget once worldwide receipts are factored in but hopefully a third film won’t follow. Audience attendance was middling at best when I saw the film but a majority seemed to enjoy it, especially one obnoxious patron who kept screaming excitedly at every action scene and even during the previews to the point where you’d think that this was his first time seeing a 3D film. As pretentious as this may sound, films should be watched by those who can appreciate it while yokels like the one I mentioned should stay home where they belong. “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” is a horrible film even by B-movie standards and is a waste of everyone’s time and money. You may be broke but I know you can do better than this, Nicholas Cage!

Final Rating: 1 out of 5

“This thing...there's no conscience…just hunger. The Rider's gonna come out. And when he does, he'll destroy whoever's got it coming.”

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Ghost Rider Extended Cut Blu-Ray Review

Not Rated (Horror Violence and Disturbing Images)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 3 Minutes

Cast-

Nicolas Cage-Johnny Blaze\Ghost Rider

Eva Mendes-Roxanne Simpson

Wes Bentley-Blackheart

Sam Elliott-The Caretaker

Peter Fonda-Mephistopheles

Donal Logue-Mack

Brett Cullen-Barton Blaze

Laurence Breuls-Gressil

Daniel Frederiksen-Wallow

Mathew Wilkinson-Abigor

David Roberts-Captain Dolan

Matt Long-Young Johnny Blaze

Raquel Alessi-Young Roxanne Simpson

Directed by Mark Steven Johnson

Ghost Rider, hopelessly in search of a better script.

What was once a pipe dream for many comic book fans has now become reality as Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated “The Avengers” finally hits the big screen this summer after four years in the making. Although many credit Bryan Singer’s “X-Men” for revitalizing Hollywood’s interest in superheroes and all things comic book, it was actually 1998’s “Blade” that finally spurred Marvel to take an active role in developing film adaptations of their major characters as many were mired in development hell. While Marvel has enjoyed much critical and financial success over the past ten years, their track record is not exactly spotless as a number of their adaptations unfortunately end up as failures and even outright train wrecks. An example would be 2007’s “Ghost Rider,” based upon the character of the same name created by writers Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich with illustrator Mike Ploog. Since his first appearance in 1972’s Marvel Spotlight #5, Ghost Rider has remained a permanent fixture of the Marvel Universe but his popularity waned since the cancellation of his third series in 1998. Various mini-series continued his story but attempts to revitalize the character have proven to be short-lived. I am actually a big fan of Ghost Rider and avidly read the comics while growing up during the early 1990s but the stories certainly paled in comparison to Spider-Man or the X-Men as he was largely a ‘visual’ character. Development of a Ghost Rider film stretched as far back as 2000 but filming did not commence until early 2005 and it was finally released in 2007 after a series of delays from Sony/Columbia Pictures. Unfortunately, director Mark Steven Johnson reduces what is essentially a violent character to a campy Saturday Morning Cartoon as “Ghost Rider” is marred by a cliché-ridden script, hamstrung dialogue, and boring action scenes. The only element deserving of praise are the visual effects but it is ultimately not enough to salvage this unholy mess of a film. 

Long ago in the American Old West, the Devil Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) sends his demonic bounty hunter, the Ghost Rider, to retrieve the contract of a thousand damned souls from the abandoned town of San Venganza. However, the Rider refuses to turn it over to his master when he realizes the contract has the power to bring about the End of Days and he instead goes into hiding. Hundreds of years later, Mephistopheles appears before a young motorcycle stuntman named Johnny Blaze and offers to cure his father’s (Brett Cullen) cancer in exchange for his soul. Blaze inadvertently agrees when a drop of his blood lands on the contract’s signature space due to a paper cut. The next day, Blaze finds his father miraculously cured but he is suddenly killed the same day while performing a dangerous stunt. Mephistopheles says that he upheld his part of the bargain and reveals that he will come for Blaze when he has need for him in the future. Feeling responsible for his father’s death, Blaze leaves his girlfriend Roxanne behind and sets off on his own. He (Nicholas Cage) grows up to be a world-famous motorcycle daredevil thanks to his death-defying stunts which often end in disaster. Blaze reunites with Roxanne (Eva Mendes), now a television journalist, and convinces her go on a dinner date with him as he still has feelings for her. However, Mephistopheles’ rebellious son Blackheart (Wes Bentley) arrives on Earth to look for the legendary contract of San Venganza in an attempt to wield unlimited power. Blaze is subsequently transformed into the demonic Ghost Rider in order to stop him and win back his soul. 

Ghost Rider was never a particularly ‘deep’ character to begin with compared to someone like Spider-Man but Mark Steven Johnson (who also directed 2003’s passable “Daredevil”) somehow manages to turn him into a Saturday Morning Cartoon. The origin remains somewhat faithful to the source material but the tone is simply all wrong. Thanks to Johnson’s incompetence as a writer, the script is full of groan-inducing clichés and makes little sense as you’re left scratching your head as to why Mephistopheles is unable to take back the power of the Ghost Rider since he is the one who granted it in the first place! In the comics, Blaze was bound to the demon Zarathos by Mephisto as an act of revenge for not being able to obtain his soul. This internal struggle to maintain his humanity would have made for some solid drama but instead Johnson tacks on this bounty hunter nonsense. He also undermines the integrity of the character by having Blaze duped into making the deal rather than giving away his soul on his own freewill and living with the consequences of that choice. The romance elements end up being too sappy to take seriously and are insufficiently developed but the atrocious dialogue drags the film down to the level of direct-to-video camp with such delightful gems like ‘Back to Hell!’ or ‘You're going down!’ It appears that all the hard work (and money) has gone into the visual effects and they are actually impressive as Ghost Rider does look convincing with his CG skull and fire. The transformation scene is sadly the film’s only highlight since the action fails to drum up any level of excitement. Blackheart is accompanied by three disposable henchmen who put up little resistance against Ghost Rider. One of them even begins to beg for mercy after sustaining one punch to the face! What kind of demons are these?! 

The performances are lackluster and are over the place with Nicholas Cage completely miscast as Johnny Blaze with his weird Elvis-like mannerisms and mumbling line readings. Let me remind you that Cage won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1995’s “Leaving Las Vegas” but the last film to have garnered similar praise was 2002’s “Adaptation,” which was ten years ago! Since then, he has appeared in one terrible film after another due to being in so much debt that he is forced to accept any project that is offered to him. Eva Mendes spends her time pouting and baring her cleavage. She’s about as convincing as a television journalist as Denise Richards was a nuclear physicist in “007 The World is Not Enough.” Wes Bentley reduces one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe to a walking punch-line while Peter Fonda appears disinterested to the point where he might as well just a wear a sign that reads: ‘Here only for paycheck!’ Finally, Sam Elliott serves little purpose other than to provide needless exposition. 

“Ghost Rider” rode onto Blu-Ray back in June, 2007 in an extended cut that adds nine minutes of worthless filler material. The film may be terrible but the video and audio quality remains demo material despite being one of the earlier releases on Blu-Ray. Colors are vivid and texture detail is strong despite much of the film taking place at night with rich shadows abounding in every scene. The highlights are certainly the CG-heavy sequences as Ghost Rider has never looked better in high definition. Audio is heavy on bass thanks to its aggressive sound effects and music but dialogue and ambiance remain sharp amidst all the noise. If only Johnson had applied the same amounts of effort in the story instead of concentrating on making the film look and sound good. A healthy dose of special features round out the package with a lengthy 82-minute look at the making of the film as well as two audio commentaries with Mark Steven Johnson and visual effects supervisor Kevin Mack on one and producer Gary Foster on the other. Johnson actually goes into something of a rant against his critics but all he does is prove them right and refuses to acknowledge the fact that his film just isn’t very good to put it lightly. 

Released on February 16, 2007, “Ghost Rider” received largely negative reviews with 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics panned it as ‘a sour mix of morose, glum histrionics amidst jokey puns and hammy dialogue.’ The film actually managed to deliver a sizable debut over President’s Day weekend with $52 million and went on to gross a solid $229 million worldwide (the production budget was $110 million), something that Sony/Columbia Pictures is looking to repeat with the sequel “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor at the helm. Ghost Rider was a character that always relied on visuals than story-telling but there was certainly enough material from the comic books to craft an entertaining film. Unfortunately, all this potential is wasted thanks to Mark Steven Johnson’s complete incompetence as a writer and director. While the film may have big-budget visual effects, everything else would barely qualify as a direct-to-video release. At least it can take solace in the fact that “Batman & Robin” is still the worst comic book film.

Final Rating: 1.5 out of 5

“I'm gonna own this curse...and I'm gonna use it against you. Whenever innocent blood is spilt, it'll be my father's blood...and you'll find me there. A spirit of vengeance…fighting fire with fire.”

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